Hamlet e



(No Model.)

' H. E. FORREST.

I BANJO. No. 325,067. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

FFICEQ HAMLET E. FORREST, OF NE\V HAVEN, CONN, ASSIGNOR OF T\VO-TIIIRDS TO XVILLIAM II. BEEOHER AND EDYVD. G. MANSFIELD, OF SAME PLACE.

BANJO.

SPECIEIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,067, dated August 25, 1885.

Application filed October 23, 1882.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HAMLET E. FORREs'r, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements in Banjos; andI do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and

In which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and rcpresent,in

Figurcl, a top view; Fig. 2, a side view; Figs. 3, 4;, 5, and (5, detached views.

This invention relates to animprovement in 1 the construction of banjos, the object being to make the instrument more durable and less susceptible to changes of temperature than those of the usualv construction; and the invention consists in details of construction,

as hereinafter describechand particularly recited in the claims.

First, the rim. This is usually made from bent wood, sometimes of several thicknesses, and so bent is easily affected by changes of 2 temperature, and in many cases requires to be stayed by diametrical bars. To overcome this difficulty I construct the rim A from a strip of wood of the requisite width and length, which bent into shape will form a 0 continuous ring. Vertically across the outer surface of this rim I out a series of narrow channels, a, and after the strip is bent into the ring shape Iplacc into these channels cor respondingly-shaped strips of wood I), the

5 grain of which lies transversely across the grain of the wood which forms the ring. These strips are glued in. The ring, bent after the channels are formed, opens the channels so that they are wider at their outer surface than at their inner, the strips of wood completely filling these channels and serving to hold the ring in its bent condition-that is to say,they elongate the outside of the ring, and would in themselves force the strip into ring shape if driven in when the strip was straight. The ring is then turned and finished.

By this construct-ion of the ring it is firmly stayed and sufficiently strong without the usual diametrical bars, and the staying produced by the transverse strips avoids the ef fect of the atmosphere upon the bent ring.

Renewed February 3, 1885.

No model.)

13 is the arm, of usual form. I secure it to the rim in the following manner: Upon the inside of the rim A, and at the point where the arm is to be fixed, I place a metal plate, O, which fits the inner surface of the rim, (see Fig. 3, enlarged,) and from this athin tail-piece, D, extends through a mortise cut in the rim and enters a corresponding cavity in the end of the arm. This tail-piece has a 6 screw-hole, cl, tapped through it, and into the under side of the arm a screw, E, is introduced to enter the threaded hole din the tailpiece. This screw is enlarged below the threaded part into conical shape, as at e. The hole in the arm through which the screw is inserted. is of corresponding form but somewhat larger than the conical part of the screw, and so that as the screw is drawn toward the tail-piece that conical part c of the body of 0 the screw will bear hard against the corresponding surface in the arm and-toward the rim, so that forcing the screw inward the conical part acts as a wedge or key and tends to draw the arm and rim firmly together, which securely holds them in their required relative position, the flat tail-piece D serving to prevent any twisting of the arm upon the rim.

As a further strengthening between the arm 8c and lim, I form a tongue, I, on the lower ring, F, which extends into the arm, as seen in Fig. 3,and through which the screw passes, but without engagement.

To cover the head of the screw, a cap, f, is fitted to the screw and into a corresponding recess in the underside of the arm, as seen in Fig. 3, and so as to bear upon the tongue I, which clamps the tongue I to the arm.

To tighten or adj ust he tension of the head, t I place a metal ring, F, around the rim near its lower edge, and that it may be firmly held against any strain from above I form a shoulder, h, on the outer surface of the rim,against which the ring F will bear. This ringF is con- 5 structed with a series of lugs i, which are drilled and tapped from above. ,H is asecond ring, of like shape to the ring F, arranged to be set down over the skin or head, and to bear upon its lower edge, Z, which is prepared [00 to receive the strain in the usual manner, and as seen in Fig. 3. This ring H is constructed with lugs m,corresponding to the lugs t below; but these lugs m are drilled so as to permit the adjlisting-screws ll to pass freelythrouglnand so that their heads a will come to a bearing upon the said lugs m.

The head or skin is placed over the rim and the ring H set over that. Then the screws introduced through the lugs m are turned down into the lugs 1' below until the required tension is attained.

By this construction the nicest adjustment of the head may be attained, and Without any liability of its accidental variation. The ad justment is of the firniest possible character, and as a whole the banjo thus constructed is notliable to any of the derangenients incidental to the usual construction.

ltwill be understood that the screws may beinverted-that is to say, may be introduced through thelugs of the lower ringand screwed into the lugs of the upper ring.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is* 1 A banjo-rim constructed from a strip of bent wood, having its outer surface transversely channeled and the channels filled with wood blocks, the grain of which runs transversely to the grain of the bent part of the rim, substantially as described.

2. In a banjo, the combination of the plate 0, upon the inside of the rim, constructed with a tail-piece, D, extending through the rim-and into the arm, and the screw E, having aconical body, 0, the screw set-screwed into a hole in the arm and into the tail-piece l), the conical part of the screw taking a bearing in the arm toward the rim and thereby drawing the rim and arnitogether, substantially as de scribed.

11. E. FORR EST.

\Vitnesses:

.Tos. O. EARLE, J. H. SJTUMWAY. 

